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University Communities Council
  
Vice Chair Vice Chair Chair
Michael Blynn Phil Lieberman Joycelyn Johnson
Councilman, North Miami, FL Councilmember, Glendale, AZ Councilmember, Winston-Salem, NC
Council Background and Purpose
The University Communities Council (UCC) is a voluntary group of elected officials from municipalities with a university or institution of higher education within its borders or within an adjacent municipality. This NLC Council was formed in 1977 as a member group to encourage the active involvement of university communities in the organization, its policy-making process and in programs at NLC. The UCC changed its status to become a Member Council at the Congressional City Conference in March 2006. For more information about the change, click the following highlighted links for an article from Nation's Cities Weekly and a letter from the 2006 UCC Chair, Councilor Henrietta Davis.
The Council's objectives are to assist cities, NLC and state municipal leagues in gathering, sharing and analyzing information about opportunities, issues and policies of interest to university communities. It also serves to foster a spirit of cooperation between universities, colleges and city and town governments.
Issues for University Communities
University Communities Council members are active in the National League of Cities and share the challenges and objectives of NLC member cities. However, there are problems and opportunities which are unique to university communities, especially small cities where a university is a dominant factor in the community.
Off-campus student housing, parking problems, student revelry, alcohol and noise violations, and tax-free properties may not be significant problems for most cities and towns, but for cities with universities, these represent real problems with real cost implications. Conversely, university towns have opportunities to utilize the expertise of university staff for scientific and operational problems. University fellows and student interns assigned to specific projects are examples of city/town partnerships. Joint economic development projects are another example.
The UCC exists to help members share information and make useful contacts. Our members consult each other throughout the year by exchanging calls, email messages, articles, and periodic visits. There is a good chance that you will find members who have experience with most university community issues that concern you.
Next Meeting
The Council convenes annually at both the Congressional City Conference and Congress of Cities and Exposition. The next meeting will be held at the Congress of Cities Conference in Orlando, Florida,
November12-15, 2008.
University Communities News and Information
Call for presentation proposals for the 3rd Annual Best Practices in Building University/City Relations Conference: http://university-cityrelations.tamu.edu.
Member Councils explore cutting edge topics - Nation's Cities Weekly - March 24, 2008
Conference Explores Best Practices in Building City and University Relations - Nation's Cities Weekly - July 7, 2007
Impact on the Cost and Financing of Government Services in the Selected Host Municipalities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education - Report from the Pennsylvania Economy League - November 2006
Homeownership and Smart Growth: Opportunities for University Communities - Nation's Cities Weekly - May 7, 2007
Bills wedge between universities, towns - USA Today - May 2, 2007
Campus Security Plans Gain Momentum in Aftermath of Va. Tech Shootings - Nation's Cities Weekly - April 30, 2007
City Practices: City and University Police Partnerships - Nation's Cities Weekly - April 30, 2007
University Communities Council Seeks Additional Members - Nation's Cities Weekly - September 11, 2006
Higher Education in Pennsylvania: A Competitive Asset for Communities - Jennifer S. Vey, Senior Research Associate, The Brookings Institution
University Communities Change Governance Structure Nation's Cities Weekly - March 27, 2006
Commentary: Town and Gown: Great Things Are Happening...Elsewhere The Berkeley Daily Planet
Information Sharing
The Town & Gown Network website, has an online forum in which participants can share information and ask questions of each other.
City Practice Resources is a collection of more than 5,000 local government programs and practices. These are current programs in cities and towns across the nation, and the collection covers a multitude of topics. A brief program description outlines the basic program information.
These links will take you to the City Practice Resource Database:
If you would like to submit a project or program for inclusion in City Practice, click here to provide some basic information.
UCC 2008 Steering Committee
Joycelyn Johnson, Councilmember, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Chair)
-Institute of Government at UNC, NC School of the Arts, Piedmont Baptist College, Salem College,
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University
Michael Blynn, Commissioner, North Miami, Florida (Vice Chair)
-Florida International University and Johnson and Wales University
Phil Lieberman, Councilmember, Glendale, Arizona (Vice Chair)
-Arizona State University-West and Midwestern University
Nancy Chaney, Mayor, Moscow, Idaho
-University of Idaho, New Saint Andrews College
Brad Cole, Mayor, Carbondale, Illinois
-Southern Illinois University
Carolyn T. Comitta, Council Member, West Chester, Pennsylvania
-West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Henrietta Davis, Councilor, Cambridge, Massachusetts
-Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lesley University, and Cambridge College
Ryan Doll, Council Member, Ames, Iowa
-Iowa State University
Charles Hafter, City Manager, South Burlington, Vermont
Pete Haga, Community/Government Relations Officer, Grand Forks, North Dakota
-University of North Dakota
Craig Lowe, Mayor-Commissioner Pro Tem, Gainesville, Florida
-University of Florida
Elizabeth Paterson, Mayor, Mansfield, Connecticut
-University of Connecticut
Dan Rice, Council Member, Ames, Iowa
-Iowa State University
Randy Riggs, Councilmember, Waco, Texas
-Baylor University and Texas State Technical College
Betty Taylor, Councilor, Eugene, Oregon
Douglas Tuttle, Council Member, Newark, Delaware
-University of Delaware
Ben White, Mayor, College Station, Texas
Get Involved
Although all are welcome to attend meetings of the Council at NLC conferences, formal membership requires appointment by the NLC president. For more information on the membership process or general questions about the University Communities Council, contact the NLC staff listed below.
NLC Staff
The following NLC staff members support the activities of the NLC University Communities Council.
Bonnie Mann, mann@nlc.org, (202) 626-3125
Hope Hayes, hayes@nlc.org, (202) 626-3130 |